I’m a total supplement fiend. I’m always experimenting with supplements in order to find an edge for my physical and mental performance and well-being. It’s been two years since my last supplement round-up, so it’s time for an update.
Here are the supplements I’ve been getting the most mileage from in 2019 along with my rankings. I’m not telling you to take any of these supplements. I’m just writing a fictional story and what you do next is up to you. Make sure to check laws in your current country. All of this stuff was fine and dandy in my country of residence, Austria.
Supplement #1: Gorilla Mind
I’m devastated because I recently ran out of Gorilla Mind.
Now I have to wait until they open up a European store (unless any American friends feel like helping a brother out).
This supplement has been INSANE.
Easily one of the best, if not the best, supplement I’ve tried.
Definitely top three supplements I’ve tried in my lifetime.
Gorilla Mind Rush helped me bang out a lot of writing, a lot of videos, and a lot of podcasts this year (still haven’t dropped these yet, but they’re coming).
20 mins after taking Gorilla Mind, I was ON for the whole damn day. I just wanted to get shit done.
I also loved the mood lift. I was always so happy on my Gorilla Mind days. And I had my best workouts and strength gains.
I’ve done an entire write-up of Gorilla Mind here and you can check out this supplement’s sales page here.
Grade: A+ (and I don’t give that out lightly)
Supplement #2: Huperzine A
Huperzine A has gone up in my estimation this year. Last year I gave it a B+ but this year it’s definitely an A-standard supplement for me.
I take Huperzine A basically every day and I love how motivated it makes me. It also gives me a mood boost and makes it easier for me to remember stuff.
When I first started supplementing with Huperzine A, the differences were dramatic. Now it’s part of my stack, I only notice the difference if I don’t take it for a couple of days (I’m a little bit slower).
There’s huperzine A in Gorilla Mind, one of the reasons the blend is so good, but seeing as they can’t ship internationally anymore I’m going to have to content myself with huperzine A alone (without all the other Gorilla Mind goodness) until they get their international store up and running – hurry up and take my money, guys.
I recommend the Source Naturals Brand.
Grade: A
Supplement #3: CBD oil
I’ve written up a whole review of my success story with CBD oil here, but I’ll just say I don’t know if anything else is this effective for dealing with intense muscular pain and sleep.
CBD oil also worked incredibly well to drastically cut anxiety, helped reduce my gut problems, reduced my inflammation, and helped me to focus.
I’ve tried CBD oil without any other supplement in my system so I know exactly how it works on my body.
You might be different, all I know is I get the best sleep of my life thanks to CBD oil and I would probably still be out of the gym due to muscular pain if it wasn’t for CBD.
I’ve tried a lot of CBD oil products and my favourite, mainly on account of how delicious it is, is the Made My Hemp brand, which you can check out here.
Grade: A+ (again, I don’t give these grades out lightly)
Supplement #4: Magnesium
Another godsend for sleep.
I take 400mg before bed and I’m out like a light.
You have to build up to that so start with 200mg if it’s your first time taking magnesium.
It also helps relax my muscles. Epsom salts are better for muscular benefits, but taking magnesium orally still has those benefits. Since I can’t be bothered taking a bath (have only taken showers since I stopped living in Japan) I’ll make do with magnesium citrate.
I can’t imagine not having magnesium every single day. It’s a staple of my bedtime routine and I don’t intend to go without it ever again.
Wanna have the best sleep of your life?
2 drops of CBD oil + 400mg magnesium + 2000mg GABA 30 minutes before bed = YOU’RE WELCOME.
I’m using the Solgar brand at the moment, but the NOW brand is also very decent (hell, it’s all good, just look for magnesium citrate with nothing else added in).
Grade: A
Supplement #5: GABA
Another great one for sleep.
There are two ways I like to take GABA.
The first is to take a small dose in my post-workout shake because it helps stimulate growth hormone, which is something you want to benefit from right after a workout.
The second is to take a mega dose – anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 mg – before bed. This will knock you out cold and give you the best sleep.
I used to take GABA just on it’s own, then I picked up a brand that mixed vitamin B-6 in with the GABA.
Why do supplement companies do this shit?
If I wanted B-6, I would take it separately!
Anyway, I stayed away from it because I assumed a B-vitamin would give me energy, counteract the GABA, and ruin my sleep. But after some research, apparently B-6 is great for relaxation, restful sleep cycles, and even gives you vivid dreams. So I added this back in to my bedtime supplement regime and I’m so glad I did.
Combined with magnesium and CBD it would be impossible not to have a great sleep 20-40 mins after ingesting.
Once again, you can’t go wrong with the NOW brand of GABA.
Grade: B+
Supplement #6: BCAAs
I recommend the Xtend brand of BCAAs. I’ve been using this brand for years. They changed the flavour a few years back, which is a shame because it used to be awesome (particularly Blue Raspberry). The flavour’s still good, but definitely not as good as it used to be.
I mix these BCAA drink with ice cold water in the morning.
It helps blunt my appetite, along with black coffee, which makes intermittent fasting a lot easier. I’ll have my first meal eight hours after waking and will usually work out before then.
I’ve noticed BCAAs help reduce my muscle soreness after a heavy weights session. Some people I respect, like John Doe, say they don’t do shit for them. That’s fair enough. For me, I’ve definitely noticed improved flexibility and recovery so I’ll keep taking them. Experiment and see what works for you.
Grade: B+
Supplement #7: Rhodiola Rosea
I love adaptogens.
Ashwaghanda, bacopa, and valerian have been my herbal friends for years.
But this year I got more use out of rhodiola.
Just once a week, maximum, taken in the morning and you’ll have a productive day. It feels like a stimulant, at least to me.
I noticed if I took it multiple days in a row it would lose effect fast, so I try not to take it that often.
I recommend the NOW brand.
Supplement #8: Grenade Carb Killer Protein Bars
This line of protein bars and drinks is low carb and delicious.
They’re the only protein supplement I’ve found that actually tastes amazing.
I replaced my dessert with the white chocolate, chocolate banana, and fudge brownie flavoured bars and I love a peanut butter protein shake after a workout.
They’re kinda pricy in the stores, but you can stock up (relatively) cheaply by buying them in bulk on Amazon. They make a good treat.
Grade: A-
Supplement #9: Zinc
I could talk about how zinc supplementation improved my skin or my mood or helped give me more energetic workouts.
But really we all know why dudes supplement with zinc.
NOW brand is my recommendation (seriously, this company should give me free shit the amount I’m shilling for them).
Grade: B-
Supplement #10: Activated Charcoal
I’ve had to deal with IBS for years.
I can make life easier for myself by staying away from dairy and gluten, but sometimes I want to go to a nice restaurant and order the cheesecake like a normal person.
Whenever that happens, I regret it 30 minutes later as I become painfully bloated.
The only supplement I have found that instantly destroys gut pain, bloating, and symptoms of IBS is activated charcoal.
I don’t want to say it’s a miracle cure, but it damn well feels like a miracle cure.
It’s a must-have in anyone’s medicine cabinet, especially if you have gut issues.
This brand is my favourite.
Grade: A
Honourable mention #1: Kratom
Does this count as a supplement?
It’s basically a plant from the coffee tree, but has different effects.
I used to use kratom semi-regularly when I was living in Montreal, but stopped for years because it’s a pain in the ass to travel with it.
When I moved to Austria, I was happy to find that botanical shops in Vienna’s high street sold kratom so I picked some up and, boy, did I miss it!
Kratom is one of the best things I’ve come across for pain of all kinds, but particularly muscular pain.
Mixing it in a protein shake after a gym workout is a real treat.
It’s also great for general sense of well-being, along with focus, concentration, and motivation.
Grade: A
Honourable mention #2: Sparkling water + double espresso + green tea
Sometimes it’s the simple things that work best.
I noticed I always got the most work done whenever I ordered this trio at the cafe: sparkling water, double espresso, and green tea.
My friend John on twitter told me that the rise in productivity is due to the carbonated water increasing the efficacy of the caffeine (this is why champagne gets you drunk so quick).
I know that the l-theanine in the great tea brings out the best of the caffeine too – no jitters, prolonged stable energy.
I don’t do this every day because I like the ritual and it’s quite special to me. But a couple of times a week I will do this routine and I’ll get a lot done.
Adding Gorilla Mind and Kratom to the mix makes it even more insane.
Grade: A
Honourable mention #3: Dandelion root
I used this to help shred up at the end of a few months of cutting.
Dandelion root is brilliant for getting rid of water weight and you notice it doing its job immediately.
I wouldn’t use it as a long-term supplement but for a short amount of time or right before an event it’s great for getting your face looking lean and bringing out abdominal definition.
I used Nature’s Way.
Grade: B
Supplement that didn’t make the cut
Sometimes the best thing you can do in any realm of life is see how much you can cut out, not how much you can add.
This is especially true when it comes to supplements.
Here is the supplement I ditched this year:
Phenibut
I loved phenibut for a couple of years, but I ditched it last year.
I noticed that it was too habit-forming and I started getting comedown-type symptoms in the days following phenibut.
One day of awesome, followed by a couple of days feeling flat wasn’t worth the trade-off for me so I ditched it.
I still recommend people try out phenibut sparingly in order to get over an insomnia hump or if they have a special event like a wedding speech or a job interview they want to shine for.
But you definitely shouldn’t be using this several times a week. It’s too heavy.
What supplements made your year?
Those are the supplements that worked for me.
Let me know what you recommend.